Chick with digestive blockage

[LateBirdFarms]

I've got a problem with a chick just shy of 2 weeks that's broody raised. I've dealt with sour crop and crop impaction with hens, but this is new to me. Yesterday evening I noticed she wasn't keeping up with the others and her crop is huge, squishy, half filled water balloon sort of thing, and while her back end wasn't entirely crusted over, but she had a good deal of white leakage dried where it dribbled down her backside. None of the usual sour crop smell. Cleaned her up, kept her separated to see if that crop would empty, no such luck. No droppings out of her except for the white leakage, vent looks fine, no pulsating, no visible injury or deformity. Saturday she was fine, Sunday morning she was still keeping up with her siblings, now she's visibly weak but still has spunk. I waited to see if it would resolve over night, she's a tiny bantam chick, so I'm a little worried I would have done more harm that good with any of the usual go to remedies for an older bird, but now I'm hoping for some advice.... What do you do for a chick this size?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos of the chick and her poop?

Seeking vet care is always best, we are not vets nor experts here.

Is she were mine, for a chick this young, I'd be inclined to treat for Coccidiosis and sour crop if the crop is like a fluid filled balloon.

I'd direct oral drench her with Corid, this tiny and young, give around 3-4 drops of undiluted Liquid Corid once a day for 3 days.
Give her a few small chick sized chunks of coconut oil and about about an 1/8" of vaginal yeast cream or athlete's foot cream (Miconazole/Clotrimazole), this twice a day for 7 days.

It's a given that you will continue to keep the vent clean, provide a source of heat, etc. etc.

IN ADDITION to the direct drench of Corid, give her mixed Corid for drinking water. If you need to, syringe the mixed water into her, but it's best if she will drink on her own. If she's not drinking really well, the mixed water can also be used to make a wet mash of her feed. It's very hard to overdose Corid.
Liquid Corid dose is 2tsp or Powdered Corid is 1 1/2tsp per gallon of water given as the only source of drinking water.

I know this all sounds like a lot for such a tiny baby, but what we're doing here is treating Coccidiosis, in case this is part of the problem. Coccidiosis can cause inflammation in the intestines which in turn can slow the digestive system, which can cause the crop to be very slow. We're trying to head off sour crop. The cream will help with that. Coconut oil is helpful with yeast, but it may also help if there's a blockage and get things moving.

I've only ever had one chick with similar symptoms, he was a bit older, maybe 3 1/2 wks, but after a couple of days he was much improved. I did finish 7 days with him even when he seemed recovered after around the 5 day mark.
I did also provide mixed Corid water for all the chicks (+the broody) to drink as well. Corid won't hurt your broody nor the other chicks. If they are in a large mixed flock with other adults, then I just treat all the flock's water (won't hurt your other adults). Do make some chick sized grit available for your babies if you don't already.

This is my 2¢ hopefully someone else will chime in with their thoughts/suggestions.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Do you have photos of the chick and her poop?

Seeking vet care is always best, we are not vets nor experts here.

Is she were mine, for a chick this young, I'd be inclined to treat for Coccidiosis and sour crop if the crop is like a fluid filled balloon.

I'd direct oral drench her with Corid, this tiny and young, give around 3-4 drops of undiluted Liquid Corid once a day for 3 days.
Give her a few small chick sized chunks of coconut oil and about about an 1/8" of vaginal yeast cream or athlete's foot cream (Miconazole/Clotrimazole), this twice a day for 7 days.

It's a given that you will continue to keep the vent clean, provide a source of heat, etc. etc.

IN ADDITION to the direct drench of Corid, give her mixed Corid for drinking water. If you need to, syringe the mixed water into her, but it's best if she will drink on her own. If she's not drinking really well, the mixed water can also be used to make a wet mash of her feed. It's very hard to overdose Corid.
Liquid Corid dose is 2tsp or Powdered Corid is 1 1/2tsp per gallon of water given as the only source of drinking water.

I know this all sounds like a lot for such a tiny baby, but what we're doing here is treating Coccidiosis, in case this is part of the problem. Coccidiosis can cause inflammation in the intestines which in turn can slow the digestive system, which can cause the crop to be very slow. We're trying to head off sour crop. The cream will help with that. Coconut oil is helpful with yeast, but it may also help if there's a blockage and get things moving.

I've only ever had one chick with similar symptoms, he was a bit older, maybe 3 1/2 wks, but after a couple of days he was much improved. I did finish 7 days with him even when he seemed recovered after around the 5 day mark.
I did also provide mixed Corid water for all the chicks (+the broody) to drink as well. Corid won't hurt your broody nor the other chicks. If they are in a large mixed flock with other adults, then I just treat all the flock's water (won't hurt your other adults). Do make some chick sized grit available for your babies if you don't already.

This is my 2¢ hopefully someone else will chime in with their thoughts/suggestions.

Your .02 have always been wonderfully helpful! If the chick were a few months older, my first guess would have been sour crop, but Ive never seen anything like this in such a young chick and I haven't had much luck finding anything through a search on one this young either, so your input is greatly appreciated! Especially since it's the middle of the day on a Monday, I was expecting a much longer wait for a response, so again, thank you!

I did just added corid to the flock water and the chicks dish after posting in case that was a factor, my logic being the only problems I've had with broody raised chicks this young has been coccidiosis, but I had no idea coccidiosis could cause severe enough inflammation. But now that you've said it, it clicks logically!

They've always had grit available. I've been racking my brain for something that might have changed recently and the only thing I can come up with is the broody had them under the pines and into the longer grass over the weekend, but the crop never really had a firm feeling like impaction, so I was still scratching my head.

I just made a run into town to pick up some yeast cream, seems I let the stuff in my chicken med kit expire, but I'll grab some pictures once I get back.

Unfortunately, while we do have a vet who will treat chickens, she only does them on a phone/video chat consultation basis and she is by no means quick in responding, but a call is in!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Keep me posted on how she's doing.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Keep me posted on how she's doing.

Wow, bit of a delay getting back to you, but the vet got back to me in the meantime! She actually gave me the exact same advice you did (I also found out that even though she won't treat a chicken in person, she will do a necropsy!)

The chicks crop is noticeably smaller, but still no real droppings, and she's still a bit low on energy. And apparently I'm so bad with this technology stuff that I didn't realize the pictures I was taking to send the vet weren't actually saving to my phone, so all the great shots of the actual chick are gone and I've only got one of its droppings. That there whitish smear on my shirt.

It's a bit terrifying trying to get that tiny beak open gently, but so far so good on her accepting the treatment with only a bit of a fuss. She's not eating yet, but is drinking. The vet said hopefully there will be a large deposit of excrement within the next few hours if everything is going well, and she should start to perk up after that. If not, she said it's a possible deformity, she has seen that once in a chick with these symptoms, but her intuition was pointing in the direction of coccidiosis and a mild case of sour crop.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Let's hope you see improvement in the next 24hrs.

I know you want to see her eat, but fluids are most important, so do what you can with those.
Such tiny little things, you may need to give a drop of fluid at a time. I've had stubborn chicks that seemed to refuse even taking a drop from a syringe. This is when I switch it up and dip a qtip in the liquid. Press the qtip lightly against the side of the beak and let a little bit of liquid "seep" or roll around the outside of the beak. They will often take it that way, make a bit of a chewing motion and give you the stink eye too